Could atoms be the key to a better storage environment? IBM has announced breakthrough research into the magnetic properties of atoms that could lead to smaller-scale electronics, thus dramatically reducing storage needs. The story, which appeared in eCommerce Times, says the technology is "decades" away from any useable form, but the research brings exciting new possibilities for the future of data storage.

According to an IBM press release, researchers were able to successfully probe a property called magnetic anisotropy in individual atoms. This fundamental measurement has important technological consequences because it determines an atom's ability to store information, says the release.

In yet another report, IBM researchers unveiled the first single-molecule switch that can operate flawlessly without disrupting the molecule's outer frame. This is considered to be a significant step toward building computing elements at the molecular scale that are vastly smaller, faster and use less energy than today's computer chips and memory devices.